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Liver Cirrhosis Treatment - A Definitive Guide (2018)
Think You’re Too Young to Get Liver Disease? Think Again.
Liver disease was once perceived as something only older adults needed to worry about. Discover why this is false, as well as 3 steps you can take to manage and reverse liver damage.
Once upon a time, liver disease wasn’t a big concern for anyone under the age of 40. It happened sometimes, but it wasn’t very common.
But in recent decades there has been a significant spike in the incidence of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among young adults. People as young as 20 have died of alcoholic liver disease. Even children as young as 15 have been threatened by non-alcoholic liver disease.
Modern Life: Rough on the Liver
Obesity Epidemic
One contributing factor to this alarming trend is the obesity epidemic. Seventy to ninety percent of obese patients also have NAFLD or “fatty liver,” though the condition often goes undiagnosed.
Binge Drinking
Another contributing factor is the rise of binge drinking among young adults. Some experts blame the global economy for this trend, noting reduced opportunities worldwide have driven many young adults to despair.
While some patients end up with cirrhosis after 30 years of heavy drinking, each binge drinking day can put young adults at risk. It makes sense, as many are already straining their livers through lifestyle choices leading to obesity. Exposure to the everyday toxins everyone in modern life comes into contact with overloads the liver even more, reducing its tolerance to this kind of abuse.
There’s Good News Here
If you’re a young adult worried about liver disease – there’s good news. You can start to manage the condition and reverse the damage with these 3 tips.
3 Tips to Reverse Liver Damage
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- First, if you’ve been binge drinking, stop. Get counseling and help if you need it.
- Second, lose weight. Losing even 10% of your bodyweight can have a significant positive impact on reversing liver disease. Adopting the fatty liver diet can help reverse the progression of liver disease. It’s not a hard diet to follow.
- Third, consider taking a helpful supplement. For example, milk thistle is proven to help reverse liver disease as well.
Conclusion
Modern life may be hard on your liver, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. Live longer and stronger by taking care of your liver today with the 3 tips listed above on reversing liver damage. Your liver is your body’s workhorse, and you can’t afford to lose it.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/publications/inside_tract/InsideTract_Fall_2009/Fatty_Liver_Disease_Rising_in_Young_People, Fatty Liver Disease Rising in Young People, Inside Tract, a publication of John Hopkins Medicine, December 15, 2009, accessed August 10, 2018.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm, FastStats - Alcohol Use, The CDC, accessed August 10, 2018.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/18/630275042/a-spike-in-liver-disease-deaths-among-young-adults-fueled-by-alcohol, A Spike in Liver Disease Deaths Among Young Adults Fueled by Alcohol, NPR, Chisholm, P., July 18, 2008, accessed August 10, 2018.
About the Author
Stephen Holt, M.D. is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine NYCPM (Emerite) and a medical practitioner in New York State. He has published many peer-review papers in medicine and he is a best-selling author with more than twenty books in national and international distribution. He has received many awards for teaching and research. Dr. Holt is a frequent lecturer at scientific meetings and healthcare facilities throughout the world. He is a best selling author and the founder of the Holt Institute of Medicine.
